Coming off citalopram. :(

Being depressed at certain times in my life ive tried many different tablets but these make me feel worse so i have never undertaken a course. Its hard but i try talking to people i love or spending time with them to help cheer me up. I put pictures of people or things i enjoy every where and write a list of good things i like about myself or skills quality on the fridge to help spur me on. Eat the things u enjoy in moderation like a bar of chocolate and treat yourself as u would a best friend whose down. I hope this helps you as it helps me also i changed my take on depression, its a part of me but its not who i am. Good luck hope u feel better.

Hi everyone, it's been really interesting reading about other people's experiences and nice to know I'm not alone. I started taking 20mg citalopram in February this year and in combination with CBT started to gain control of my anxiety, and my mood improved dramatically (after the initial panicky feelings for the first fortnight or so). However, I have not liked the

way it has made me feel lethargic, tired and worst of all it has made me gain about 10lbs! Iknow weight gain isn't the end of the world but it was bugging me a bit. So, from the end of October, I have been tapering off the drug. Like escapee I also want to be free from

chemicals. So I did two weeks of 15 mg, 2 weeks of 10mg and I'm now in the first week of taking 5mg (I have been cutting my pills up with a knife). I have had a few palpitations and some spells of light-headedness but no other physical symptoms. This week however, I feel I have become snappy, irritable and extremely short tempered (with people who haven't done anything to hurt me) and consequently I've felt guilty and pretty low about myself. I want to continue my journey and be free of the citalopram but I hope I'm not going to be this monster forever. I suffer mildly from winter depression and have quite a stressful job so these may be contributing factors as well. I just want to cling to the calm reasonable feelings I had on the citalopram. So I guess its being happy+ weight gain+ lethargy vs. being free of citalopram+bad moods + irrational irritability! I will hang in there for now but I won't be ashamed if I have to return to 20mg.

Hi cmc who has gone back to 10 mg

Hi marbel cmc and Karen ...we have all supported each other

Cmc...Interesting, but not for you am sure...that going up and back to 10 mg is worse than tne first time

Am now on second week of 7.5-5-7.5-5. And so on..

I really think you have to each reduction for 4 weeks not 2, or even longer

It's not a race

I am using a pillcutter, it's not always that easy to cut into quarters but there you go..as marbel said you tend not to get too fretty about it

Sarah..I had thoughts of going back up at times and I also found tne second week of reduction would be almost worse than the first....keep at it, go slowly. Take deep breaths!

Good luck all

Hi Gillian and all,

Glad you are still sticking with it Gillian, beginning to wish I had, just going into 3rd week back on 10 and still not feeling right, went to see the GP this week, he wants me to go back on 20, I don't know what to do, the mornings are the worst by the evening I feel quite good, so every morning I say I will start the 20mg tomorrow and then every evening I say I don't need to. I will see how it goes.

Cmc I can totally identify with how you're feeling, with feeling bad in the morning and improving as the day goes on. That's exactly how I felt within the first week or so of starting 20mg. Since starting to wean off I've told myself it's ok if I need to go back on them, I will just start again when I'm ready so don't worry if you've had a minor setback. Being kind to yourself and practising self compassion is an important part of recovery. I know it's a bit of a cliche but the phrase 'hang in there' has been my motto since starting these pills. Good luck with everything.

Thank you Sarah, it helps to know that others have felt the same, what would we do without these forums, I hope all goes well for you with the weaning off process, good luck.

Hi, I have been off citalopram, after going cold turkey, for 10 days and I am feeling vulnerable.

I cry at little things and get angry easily.

I needed to come off because I felt I had lost some of my personality, yet am being reminded of the irritable

person I was before being prescribed citalopram.

I have read all the e mails from people and feel I am right to do this but I am really struggling as there is a

family crisis at the moment. I know not a good time but when is?

My husband is unaware that I have stopped as I am also off OTC pain killers, which I was addicted to, and he thinks that is the reason for my behaviour.

I just want reassurance as I feel it is too late to go back yet so difficult moving forward. Help!

firstly i would say that if you can you should keep your husband advised. he can't help unless he knows what is truly happening. my mother had bipolar disorder and she and my father discussed her medications together. if my dad thought she was becoming a bit low or a bit manic he would bring it up and she would alter her medication accordingly. personally concerning citalopram i found that when i stopped in one fell swoop i would get tearful and snappy and jumpy. the slightest thing would startle me. i found that after a few weeks i was fine. i was suddenly just aware that i wasn't overly emotional.i that was a dose of 20mt taken for over a year.

i then went back on it in summer 2013 but again came off it over a few days 20mg to nothing as i do think it's causing dermatitis on my face.

i feel fine but then again i am taking amitryptline for nerve pain and i have increased it from 50mg to 70mg. i feel ok. hope this is of some help at least.

Thank you Susan. Unfortunately my husband, who is great by the way, will see the symptoms of coming off

citalopram as going back to what I was like before.

He doesn't understand my need to come off them as I am okay when on them, if it's not broken why fix it, if

you get my meaning.

It is just something that I need to do, but it is going to be hard.

Jan, I can identify with your emotions with coming off citalopram, as I feel in a similar way despite tapering slowly. Just remember that it isn't necessarily your depression returning, it's just withdrawal that should go away after a few weeks. I remember feeling terrible when I had first started taking the citalopram but then it settled down, your body needs time to adjust to changes. If you feel that it is right for you to come off them then you should trust yourself. The worst that could happen is you need to go back on them at a later point, but then you can always try again. Hang in there and don't be too hard on yourself. Good luck!

Thanks Sarah I am hanging in there and it's good to have your support.

Had a great night but have a feeling I will pay for it tomorrow.

I hate this swings and roundabout life.

Hi jan15137, bless ya, can I just say well done!!, you've broken an addiction to another medication and that's fab, but maybe your just trying to hard, try cutting down the cit I think cold turkey combined with the cold turkey on the other meds is just too much.

The real you will come back honestly

When you think about how you felt on the cit probably emotionally numb, well this suppressed emotion has to come out, and you have to realise that the meds have slightly influenced your control over them.

But honestly it does settle.. And you will be back to your pre cit self.

But you do need some understanding from your husband..

Maybe present him with a rational reasoning for stoping the cit?.

I really do believe that for you under these circumstance cold turkey isn't the way forward..

I've been 3 months free of cit now.. And it's fab.. But I do a lot of isochronic entrainment .. Google it!! Hehe it really does help. And it gives you, you time, I also do loads of cycling etc have a crazy ass job, but it all helps..

You will succeed jan small steps people, and don't be hard on yourselves

This is a fab forum, helped me and many others no end.

Stay strong everyone!!

Big hugs

Xxxx

Hi caroline84640 wow how well have you done!!, think I'm now on 3 months off them, but actually can't remember.

It was really hard, I also cold turkey'd and there were points I felt I'd be back on them, or that my personality was one of a hormonal emotional teenager .. But then that settled down too..

I do have much more stamina and drive now, although I do like my can't be assed days.. Hehe.

And I am rather calm inside.. Which is a pleasant surprise. Mayb that's due to the meditation I do 3 times a day..

To anyone coming off the cit

Hang in there.. If the way you are trying doesn't feel right, then try another way.. And if you go back on them, so what , it doesn't matter, there's plenty of time to try again..

Big hugs xxxx

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice. I have been on 20mg of citalopram for 12 years. I've tried to come off it twice before, all was more or less ok for the first few weeks but in week 5 it all went wrong, I felt horrible, tearful, unable to enjoy anything and short tempered. Now I stopped six weeks ago and the exact same thing has happened. For the last week I have been reallly struggling. Just existing hurts. Do I stick with it this time and does this pass, or do I go back on for the rest of my life?? If this passes, how long will it take to get through it?I'm sure it is a chemical thing rather than my mindset as I put a lot of effort into CBT etc. Any advice appreciated! Thank you.

Hi Mary,

Why do you feel you need to come off them? Do you feel settled when you take them? I've been reducing for a couple of months and today is my first cit free day. However I'll be trying something else as depression is a chemical imbalance and Im struggling on cit so without it who knows! You sound as though you need the help too so I suggest a chat with your doc then make your decision. Good luck xxx